New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-21

steam on lt changes ike Il kalcluoSO"PO' AN"N
vast bulls are never seen for two seconds together
at the same angle. The garlanded masts OF the
Black Prince and the Agincourt. the Mlnotaur
and the Monarch group themselves into bouquets
ever changing in form; into wreaths and festoohs
into forests of flowers into swaying lines OF lnh
nitely lovely curve; into rainb)w belts. Inc
grim, armored, turreted, gun-cafrylng platforms
from which ali this beauty springs skyward are i'r
| the most part, ugly as anything that noaIs CEN
be-distorted, misshapen, clumsy. They are ilon,
stets of such hideOus men as to be hated heeu out
to he seen. The goddess of beauty took nieh.
when they were conceived, but she mas returneu
| for this day only and reigns triumphant aoo'o
| their decks Some are less hideous than others'
the older they the moro they IRE ike rear sIP''
| and the less like workshops of Vulcan. Ihey 90 al
anv rate give the most peaceful beholder the notion
| of warlike power, of sleeping energy oi
irresistible might of terrible engines OF OBSTRUCTION
| and defence, as they have not word W say
on their merits us machines, or on the haNal c"h-
troversies with which England is forever echoi"9'
nor on the vexed question whether the lhheAlpie
would blow the Collingwood out of water OF DC
herself sunk finally beneath the waves britannia
rules Here on the Helicon is Captain Chadwick,
whose business it is to impart to the Navy Depart
ment In Washington decisive opinion on all these
matters and he is competent to do il. and some dav
YOU may hear all about it from him. Nine Is
only the story of holiday and a spectacle.
And yet when once we have passed the eastern
end of the fleet and turned and steamed BACK IRON
the buoy far out TO sea, whittier the Queen leadS
U.S. 1t is something moro than the spendor oil
spectacle un urpassed i'll all elements OF beauty
which impresses tho most careless oil Us we slecr
straight for the entrance of what can only call an
avenue of armorcd ships Half mile wide. four
miles long this avenue consists of ships which, no
matter what you may think of each separately
together are majestic II was thought mistake TO
| anchor the fleet that tho Queen might sail
through. | doubt whether any evolutions OF
ships In action could he so impressive 10
| the sight and the imagination rs these notion
| less vessels in their ordered symmetry OF
| position. Line of battle or dress parade
or whatever you like to call 1t, they are magnin-
| cent. and no sovereign ever passed anld such an
array of naval force The sea kings daughter is
in her right place amid these new kings OF the sea-
| inst op2osite the Monarch the Heiicou slowed
down then came to a full stop. then suddenly came
| the order Let 60 the starboard anchor. The Queen
| was but half way through, three or four ships
| ahead near tho Hercules What had happened
We had seen signalling. but nobody In any group
| on deck knew what it meant. Ii Is not long before
| the officers of the Hclicon let us into the secret
| Her Majesty has anchored and summoned on Doa'd
! the Victoria and Albert the Commanders Of the
|
| price had its incOnvcnlent side The pro-
| cramme of the day is upset, the spectacle IS
| cut in two The completeness of tins royal pro-
| cress-aud no monarch ever made one more royal
| il impalred Some hundreds of thousands OF people
| find all at once that their arrangements ana eN-
pectatons about getting on shore or returning 10
London have gone to naught. Everybody Is
puzzled q good many people are vexcd aud say 3d.
The diplomatic corps, whose rUiicd scnsiblhtcs
had been ap2cased by the compliment OF special
ship and place in the procession, once more be-
think themselves that they have grievance One
curious result believe. OF this delay WAS tbs
ultimate disappearance OF tho Helicon from her
Maies.v's suite for in the end sac did not follow
the Queen back to Osborne. but on some urgent
ambassadorial plea obtained a dIspensation ana
Quilted the line al the moment most convenient for
putting NJ and Nine. WadlingtOn on board the
Iphigenie.
Yet when all the grumbinG has been done there
was perhaps no incident OF the day winch so
brought home to those who boheld 1t tho reality OF
the Oueeu's position and power. or her own mo-
ton and Mt her womanly wish she arrests III
one moment the progress of this great pageant At
her command tho captains os this invinciblc fleet
omit their ships and-in the quaint official phrase
repair on board the Queens yacht To receive the
message which their royal mistress hAd II IN mihd
to address to them. Their mistress, yon perceive
she is; her command is command TO be obeyed.
and is obeyed.
The Queen is, as it were, enthroned on the deck
of this holiday yacht; these mighty SHIPS OF war
about her are for the day but so many courtIerS'
complasant 10 their mistress's mercst whim. Nor
was there prettier sight in its way than to see
these epauetted, gOd-aced and cocked-hatted gen
temen fleet captain speeding past in their steam
pinnaccs, arriving from every point OF the compass
and from every ship in the fleet; all gathering
about he Queens yacht and about the Queen on
deck We had at any rate time enough to gaze on
if. and more than most of us wanted. Most impa-
tIent OF all were the Lords on the Euphaaes asiern
of us. While the Queen held her sea court these
coroneicd supporters of her throne were pouring
over the white sides of their troopship into tugs
and putting off to the dock. When tho Euphrates
once more lifted her anchor she was literally peer
less vessel
II was long past 6 when the Queen and her
Yacht and escort again got under way. The SUI
was close to the horizon. the Soent blaze OF mol
ten gold The interrupted procession resumed and
completed its passage through the stately aisle OF
ships As the Queen reached the western end, the
guns broke out in parting salute, and as
the Helcon was still i'll the midst OF the
fleet we had the full benefit Of the
cannonade. The Yards had been manned again on
every ship; the music of cheering men mingled
with the music of the guns; the Queen vanished
amid the uproar and smoke the review was over
The sunset signal followed not long after, and in an
instant came transformation az striking as any
thing we had seen all day. Down went flags and
pennons The rainbows huttered moment against
the sky and melted out of sight. The hundred ships
of the fleet were stripped In second OF their hnery
and there they lay in all their natural naked
ucness or beauty still motioness, monsters OF the
deep bulwarks of England; black battements OF
iron and STEEL The sky grew black above them,
aud tho waters black beneath them, ere the
Queens yacht found her anchorage at Cowes or the
Qneen stenned ashore On her Island homo. and the